BEAU (beaux)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: beaux   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does beau mean? 

• BEAU (noun)
  The noun BEAU has 2 senses:

1. a man who is the lover of a man or woman

2. a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance

  Familiarity information: BEAU used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BEAU (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A man who is the lover of a man or woman

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

beau; boyfriend; fellow; swain

Context example:

When the law changed, Pet could finally married his long-time boyfriend Jim

Hypernyms ("beau" is a kind of...):

lover (a person who loves someone or is loved by someone)

adult male; man (an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman))

Sense 2

Meaning:

A man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

beau; clotheshorse; dandy; dude; fashion plate; fop; gallant; sheik; swell

Hypernyms ("beau" is a kind of...):

adult male; man (an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "beau"):

cockscomb; coxcomb (a conceited dandy who is overly impressed by his own accomplishments)

macaroni (a British dandy in the 18th century who affected Continental mannerisms)

Instance hyponyms:

Beau Brummell; Brummell; George Bryan Brummell (English dandy who was a fashion leader during the Regency (1778-1840))

 Context examples 

"No sister," cried Lucy, "you are mistaken there, our favourite beaux are NOT great coxcombs."

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

“The young lady might think herself well off,” she observed, “to have such a beau. And as to her Pa,” she said, “what did the gentleman expect, for gracious sake!”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Having removed this impediment, and lifted certain silvery envelopes of tissue paper, she merely exclaimed—"Oh ciel! Que c'est beau!" and then remained absorbed in ecstatic contemplation.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

In this style she ran on; never thoroughly stopped by any thing till Mr. Woodhouse came into the room; her vanity had then a change of object, and Emma heard her saying in the same half-whisper to Jane, Here comes this dear old beau of mine, I protest!

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

I sincerely hope your Christmas in Hertfordshire may abound in the gaieties which that season generally brings, and that your beaux will be so numerous as to prevent your feeling the loss of the three of whom we shall deprive you.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

"A great coxcomb!" repeated Miss Steele, whose ear had caught those words by a sudden pause in Marianne's music.— "Oh, they are talking of their favourite beaux, I dare say."

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

"Oh," cried Miss Steele, looking significantly round at them, "I dare say Lucy's beau is quite as modest and pretty behaved as Miss Dashwood's."

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Not in the stage, I assure you, replied Miss Steele, with quick exultation; we came post all the way, and had a very smart beau to attend us.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

My beau, indeed! said I—I cannot think who you mean.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

'Lord! here comes your beau, Nancy,' my cousin said t'other day, when she saw him crossing the street to the house.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)